A Maple Story
by Naelcm
Summary: The Black Mage is regaining power, and signs of his return are showing up in the Maple World. Taylor, a bandit, joined by her rag tag band of friends join together to face the Black Mage at the time of his Return.  Recently Edited
1. Part I

A Maple Story

It's a warm day in Kerning City. Taylor, a highly renowned Shadower, sits atop a stump in a field on the outskirts of town. She is admiring her surroundings, reflecting on her career as an assistant to the Dark Lord. She has accomplished so much in such a short time, if several years can be considered a short time. By slaying foes such as Crimson Balrog, Manon, Griffey, and even the mighty Pianus, she had risen to heights that the Dark Lord's prior assistants had never been able to even consider. She was the reason that there were new recruits; she had gone from doing field work; such as completing local tasks or being sent to distant lands to collect materials, to being a headhunter and creating more incentives to becoming a Thief. She has had a tough road lately; she recently lost use of her left hand and nearly lost her vision, but none of that mattered anymore; she still had her skills and talents, and she was still able hear the familiar footsteps coming from yards away.

"Hello, Brian." She stated with a calm voice.

"It's great to see that you still aren't surprised by anything," replied Brian. Brian was an exceptionally famous Bishop. He had mastered the Holy magic arts to a point where Grendel the Wise, the leader of all Mages, offered Brian the spot of second in command, and the option to one day replace the old magician. This was an opportunity which no other Bishop had ever received, and Brian turned the offer down. Being a humble man from a humble background, he felt the old mage had earned the right to decide for himself, and did not need a second opinion. However, Brian and Grendel did agree that when the Mages of the Maple world needed a new leader, Brian would take the position offered to him.

"You're here for a reason, Brian. You always are." Taylor said as she rose from her seat and stretched.

"You know me too well, Taylor. I do bring news, however, it may not be news you're ready to hear." Brian stated with a solemn look.

"Well, don't look so down. You've known me since my early days of being a Bandit. Anything you throw at me, I can handle it."

"I'm not so sure this time. I do agree, you have been quite successful in your path, but I fear that this may put an end to more than your career."

"Brian, whatever it is, I can handle it."

"As you wish, Taylor. Victoria Island is no longer safe. I can feel a change in the winds, in the ground itself. There is a great evil coming, and it will stop at nothing to claim this world for itself."

"You don't think," Taylor said with a look of fear and shock.

"Yes, I'm afraid so." With these words, Brian turned his head in disappointment and sadness.

"So he's returning; for real this time, without a doubt?" She asked sternly.

"Yes, Taylor, the Black Mage himself is returning to Victoria Island. He will not act through his army. He will be directly attacking our world. He has regained more strength than we could have possibly imagined. I'm afraid that this time, we will not be ready to face him. And you may lose more than you did before." Brian said with a look of defeat and concern. Taylor looks away and remembers how she almost lost her life during the last fight with the Black Mage. She runs a hand over the scars on her cheek and returns her attention to Brian.

"We've stopped him before. You and I both watched him vanish into nothing the last time he appeared. How is it possible for him to return?"

"The last time we faced him, we did not defeat him; we merely sealed him. He has been hiding in the shadows of time, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. As he waits, more and more of our allies fall into his allegiance, thus granting him more power."

"How long do we have before it's too late?"

"In complete honesty, we have less than one year's time. I shall assist you with whatever it is you may need. When it comes time to defeat him and seal away his dark powers once and for all, I shall be there by your side once again."

"I would certainly hope so. Your skills come in handy when we're in a tight spot. I must go back and warn the Dark Lord. I need to assemble a team as quickly as possible." Taylor said as she readied her mount.

"Go in peace, my friend. And may the gods protect you on your journey." Brian replied as he began a spell to return to Ellinia.

As Taylor watched her old friend vanish, she knew she had to explain the situation to the Dark Lord as soon as possible. Without a moment's hesitation, Taylor ran back into Kerning City. She found the Dark Lord training new one of the newest recruits in the underground training gym underneath the tavern he owned.

"That's enough," The Dark Lord said to the pupil. "You've done very well today. Get some rest. We'll continue tomorrow at sunrise." The young man bowed and wiped off beads of sweat as he exited the ring.

"Hello, Jun." Taylor said, approaching from the shadows.

"Taylor; I almost didn't see you there," He replied with a wink. "I hope all is well. It has certainly been awhile."

"Yes, it has, old friend. And I do miss falling for your 'Train at Sunrise' routine. Everyone knows you don't show your face until the sun is setting."

"You know me too well, Taylor. It pains me that you declined my offer."

"Jun, I told you why I can't take your position. I'm not as powerful as I once was. I couldn't possibly train recruits, let alone myself." She said with a look of pain.

"Taylor, it's okay. I've found another suitable Thief. I feel he shall make a suitable leader someday. In any case; you have come with a purpose. Please, do share." He said as he sat down.

"He's back, Jun. Or, at least he's coming back. I don't know. Brian came to me today and warned me of the Black Mages imminent return."

"Well, that certainly is a bit of bad news. What exactly do you think we should do about this?" he asked with a look of playful seriousness.

"I thought you'd never ask."


	2. Part II

A Maple Story

After much discussion, Jun thumbed his chin and spoke after a moment's silence.

"Taylor, I do agree with your plans. And I will be on the front lines with you as you take on what seems to be the hardest challenge anyone shall ever be faced with. You will make a great leader. Good luck to you. I suggest you begin in Perion and seek the help of Martin. He is a high ranked Dark Knight in Dances with Balrog's army. He will help you from there." Jun said as he left in a cloud of smoke.

This is where Taylor's quest was to begin. This was how she would be remembered; by creating a small army strong enough to defeat the world's greatest threat. And she had less than one year to do so. As she approached the gates to Perion, she found a young, yet powerful Paladin sparring with a friend nearby. She noticed that the Paladin wasn't trying to block any of the swings from the Dragon Knight; he was just blocking them as if it were muscle memory. His blade swings seemed flawless as if he had memorized all possible fighting patterns and was simply toying with his opponent. She watched as they finished their skirmish and eavesdropped on their conversation.

"Too bad you're so slow, Brendan. You almost had me there!" said the Paladin. "I think we're done for today. Keep practicing, maybe you'll be able to keep up one day."

"Come on, Ty! You can't just end training there. There's still a lot I need to know." The Dragon Knight said, lowering his spear. By the looks of it, he seemed very young and inexperienced; and Taylor could practically call the Paladin's next move. As the Dragon Knight dropped the last word, the Paladin was on top of him, sword inches from his throat, shield pinning the hand that held the spear.

"Lesson one: Never drop your guard," He said with a look of intensity. "The moment you drop your guard in battle is the moment you can consider it a lost cause. Remember that."

Without a word, he rose, sheathed his sword and shield, and bowed to his student; shortly after they were deeply engaged in a meaningless conversation. It was clear to Taylor that the two were relatively the same age and were clearly best friends.

"You there," she called out. "I need to find a Dark Knight. Do you know of Martin?"

The Paladin turned around and said, "You mean Marty? Yeah, I know of him. But you won't find him here. Come into town with me and we'll talk to Dances with Balrogs about Marty's situation."

Before Taylor had time to reply, he had turned once more, locked eyes with her and said, "By the way, my name is Tyler."

"Pleasure to meet you, Tyler, my name is,"

"Taylor," He interrupted. "I know. And I know why you're here. Everyone does. Jun wouldn't have passed the message to Old 'Rogs if he didn't want the whole town knowing. You know how the old man gets. This isn't Kerning. We have a way of doing things here. We don't exactly keep news like that to ourselves."

"I see." She stated monotonously.

The rest of the way to the Warrior's Sanctuary was a quiet trip. No one spoke; no one felt the need to. The words that would be said in the Sanctuary would be enough to last anyone a lifetime.

As they entered the sanctuary, all was dark. With one swift wave of his sword, the Paladin lit the room's candles using a spell that covered his blade in flames. From a room tucked away in a corner, an old man approached the group. Dances with Balrogs was a warrior who had survived many battles, judging by the scars ridden across his body. He had withstood the test of time, both physically and mentally. He is the last descendant of a long bloodline that stretches far beyond the foundation of the colony of Perion. Devoting his life to training new warriors and preparing them for the numerous battles they would face, he did not have time or concern to find a suitable woman to continue his bloodline, so he chose, instead, to choose his best warrior to replace him when he felt the time to step down as leader had come.

"Hello Tyler; Brendan. I trust your training went well?" spoke the old man.

"Yes, it did Master," Tyler responded as he and Brendan bowed. "Brendan is becoming very strong, but he has much to learn when it comes to strategy in battle."

"Ah, very good, this is why I trusted you to train him Tyler. You will make a very good Chief one day."

"Thank you, Master. I will never be as great as you are, but I certainly strive to come close."

The old man chuckled at this remark and said, "You flatter me, Tyler. Now, I suppose we should get down to business. Tyler, take Brendan to the arena and continue your teachings if you need to. Or you may rest until tomorrow," The two warriors bowed and left the sanctuary continuing their conversation from earlier. He turned to Taylor and she could see that his look of relaxed joy had turned into a worried stare. "Taylor, I have heard the news of the Black Mage's return; which means the prophecy is completing itself."

"What prophecy?" Taylor asked.

Dances with Balrogs walked around the room, touching the walls in one straight line until he reached a bookshelf and removed a thick text. "There is a story of a very powerful mage who wishes to see the world do nothing but burn. The Prophecy states that one day, and according to my dreams, very soon, such a mage will rise from the ashes of nothing and be the destroyer of our world. However, he will not do this flawlessly. In my dreams, I have seen a troupe of heroes rise up to fight the mage. The Prophecy only tells of a battle that will tear the seams of our world apart, not how it will end. That is Fate's decision. Although my visions were vague, they did specify one thing in particular, something I found very interesting. It seems as though you have been chosen, Taylor."


	3. Part III

A Maple Story

Ten Years Ago

_ The last two members in a group of heroes stand in a barren field. The area around them is burning and they are weary from the battle. Their fallen allies lie in the field. There is a sanctuary at the end of the wasteland and atop the steps of the sanctuary stands the Black Mage. His band of minions and demon spawns stretch across most of the field. The Bandit and Bishop are desperate for one final move._

_"Brian, cast Genesis to take down his defenses and I'll move in!"_

_ "Taylor, I can't do that with you so close! You know what will happen!"_

_ "Damnit, Brian! If you want this to end just do it!"_

_ "Taylor, if anything happens, it's been an honor, old friend."_

_ "Trust me, Brian. I'll be fine; now GO!"_

_With a flash of blinding light, the mage's minions disappear into nothing. As Taylor rushes through the vanishing horde at blinding speeds, she readies her dagger and shield for her final strike at the Black Mage. She glares at the Black Mage with such anger and hatred as she searches for a crack in his armor. "You son of a bitch; you've burned my home to the ground and practically destroyed everything I've ever loved. You'll pay for what you've done." She thinks to herself. Several feet left to her target, Taylor leaps into the air to finish the fight that she was destined to finish._

Present Day

Tyler walks alongside Taylor on their trip back to Kerning City. Tyler decided to join Taylor in her quest to once again face the Black Mage; with the blessing of Dances with Balrogs. He noticed that Taylor had been quiet for most of the journey. After a long while of complete silence, he grew impatient and decided to break it.

"You okay?" Tyler asked with a puzzled stare.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Taylor replied as she dropped back into reality.

"You seemed kind of lost there. I thought you were going to stare into nothing forever."

"No, there's just a lot on my mind right now. I've fought this battle before and although we won, it didn't end well. This is one story that doesn't have a happy ending, Tyler. Are you sure you want to come?"

"Taylor, there's something about you that assures me everything will be okay. I know the risks I'm taking and I feel it's worth it to take them. There are times where a leader has to do more than just train new recruits. I can't just force the people of Perion to follow me when I take Balrog's spot as leader. I need to earn it, and this is how I can show them that I deserve it."

She pinned Tyler against the wall with her forearm nearly crushing his neck and spoke so low and with a voice so grave it would have made Death himself quiver.

"This is not some joyride quest for you to gain a little more pride. This will change your life, and it may not be for the better. There are consequences for fighting something of this stature. I can barely see and I can hardly use my left hand; do you know why? Because I have done this before and those were the consequences I faced for changing the Prophecy's plan. I was supposed to die the last time He came around. I'm lucky I'm even here having this conversation. Now lose the ego or you'll pay with your life; and the Black Mage won't necessarily be the one to take it. Got it?"

As she let him go, he let out a cough and nodded. With that one nod, she knew that she had changed him. She knew that he had rethought his reasons for fighting this battle, and he was more honorable, humble, and began deserving respect.

As they approached Kerning City, Denis and Tess appeared out of the shadows.

"So, how did I do today, Denis? Am I getting any better?" Tess, one of the newer Assassins asked. Tess came from a small town on the outskirts of Lith Harbor. She lived in a small home with her parents and two sisters. They were a normal family that lived normal lives; but they knew Tess was special, and was destined for greatness. She had dreams of becoming a famous Thief, so she left home at an early age to learn the ways of the Assassin under the Dark Lord. Recently, she had been under the instruction of the most famous Night Lord of the time.

Denis was a man of few words. He was very easily crossed, and very easily annoyed. His past is very cloudy, and he does not speak of it often. All that is truly known about him is that he lost his family as a child and was adopted by the Dark Lord and had been training ever since. He strives to find the person that was responsible for his loss and make them feel the pain he felt so long ago.

"Yeah, I suppose you did okay today, Tess." He replied as if he'd had thousands of students that day. He'd heard the footsteps coming towards Kerning and decided to end training a bit early.

"Hello, Taylor." said Denis.

"Oh, hi Denis; I almost didn't see you there. How's the new girl doing?" she asked joyfully.

"She's actually come a long way, surprisingly. I see you've picked up a new friend." He said, pointing at Tyler.

"Yeah, he's going to help. I'm sure Jun told you about everything." She replied.

"I'm Tyler, by the way. I guess Taylor isn't great with introductions." he spoke with a snicker.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Tyler." Tess spoke with a beaming smile.

"The pleasure is mine." He said with a smile and a blush.

"Well, now that all of the formalities are out of the way, we have some unfinished business." Taylor said with a more somber tone.

They arrived at Jun's hideout together to find him going through a large pile of scrolls and other documents as if he were looking for something.

"Hello, Jun. I've returned. A warrior has chosen to join our cause." Taylor said.

"Yes, yes. That's very good, Taylor." Jun said, clearly unfocused on the conversation.

"Is everything okay?" Tess asked.

"Yes, everything is fine now, young one." He said while looking up with a smile. He held a scrap of torn paper in one hand.

"What's that?" Denis asked with a stern look.

"Oh, it's nothing you need to worry about, my boy," he replied. "However, Taylor, may I have a word with you?"

"Of course." She replied.

She followed him into the deepest parts of the base; most of which were forbidden for lower ranked Thieves. She herself had not even seen many of the multiple curtain-enclosed rooms. After walking in silence down the hallway hidden within the already secret base, Jun stopped at a room and pulled back the curtain.

"I've finally found it. I've found the very last piece." He said as he entered the room. She followed him and she could not believe her eyes. The room was part of an extensive tunnel system that led several stories into the ground.

"What exactly is this, Jun?" She asked as her eyes became wild with curiosity.

"This, Taylor, is my own personal library of ancient texts." He replied. Jun had been collecting every book and article he could find that had been written before the days of the Maple World and every document that had been recorded from distant lands. He was clearly obsessed with his collection and had kept it a well hidden secret under the streets of Kerning.

"Jun, I don't understand why you're bringing me here." Taylor said.

"You'll see, trust me," He responded. "I taught you patience, so give me a moment while I find the text I seek, and all of your questions will be answered."


	4. Part IV

A Maple Story

Amongst the thousands of cluttered books and papers, Jun had managed to pinpoint one in particular. When she saw the book Jun picked, her gaze widened, and her jaw dropped. He knew its relative location, how many pages were in it, and the fates of every last character. However, he never knew the ending. It was his most prized text for that very reason; it did not have an ending. However, the page he found lying in the latest discovery of texts may have driven him over the edge.

The text tells the story of a young man's life. It begins on the day he was born and takes the reader down the path of the man's journey. The final chapters tell of his struggle. All of his followers had turned against him, entire towns had banished his name, and his family had dishonored him. Seeking revenge on the people of the world who had turned on him and left him to die in his loneliness, he turned to the Magical Arts. He sought the help of Grendell the Wise in order to learn the mystic arts and became very powerful, very quickly.

After many years of training under Grendell, the world began to fear the young man. He began studying and practicing the darkest of magic, and soon, Grendell banished him from Ellinia for the shame he brought to the names of all mages. The young mage craved revenge, and vowed he would seek it, and show everyone the true power he possessed. He started his reign of terror by returning to his hometown and cast a devastating spell that rendered the small village nearly devoid of life. There was not much of a resistance left to fight the mage, for none had anticipated such an occurrence. The mage had been banished what seemed centuries ago, and his name forgotten, but his vengeance was felt by every survivor on that day. His home town was nothing but ruins, and he turned and walked towards his next destination; as easily and as remorseless as he had so many years ago. As he journeyed from town to town, he destroyed everything including the training facilities that housed hundreds of explorers and left nothing but the flames of death and despair in his path. Families were torn apart; friendships betrayed. It seemed as though any and all emotions that once existed had been torn from his heart, and the man that was once there was never to be found again. It seemed as though there were no hope left for the Maple World. It remained this way for years, until a group of Explorers created a bond and took a stand.

The group of the few surviving Explorers banded together and pledged to bring down the notorious Black Mage. The troupe included the leading members of each job: thief, warrior, mage, bowman, and pirate; along with the apprentices of each leader. They trained and gathered in secrecy as the Black Mage continued his domination and destruction of the Maple World. As they gained strength, he gained another section of the world. Just when it seemed hopeless, the Explorers put a plan into action that they knew was their only hope, and that failure was not an option.

The Black Mage had locked himself inside of the Temple of Time, a sacred temple that housed the guardians of time and the infamous Pink Bean, master of time. However, this was all of no importance now that the Black Mage had taken control of it. He had transformed it into a maze and a virtually impenetrable fortress. The Explorers had slain nearly all of the Black Mage's guardians and sealed them in magic barriers that no spell could break, other than the origin spell. They had lost several good Explorers in their fights, and only the job leaders, a young bandit, a mage, an elderly warrior, and a bowman remained. Beaten and bruised, the remaining Explorers staggered up the staircase to face their final fight with the Black Mage.

"You are all fools to have come here," The Black mage said with a grin that could steal the soul of even the darkest creature. "At least I can give you the honor of a quick death."

"You will fall, wicked one," spoke Grendell the Wise, leader of the mages.

"Your reign of tyranny is over." Said Dances with Balrogs.

Just before the Black Mage could respond, Jun, leader of the Thieves, hurled a massive throwing star at the mage, hoping to make contact. The Black Mage moved quickly and dodged the star, laughing as the star broke the chains that he had bonded himself in.

"You will now see the true power of a Mage." He snarled as his eyes began to glow. His chains floated around him and began to glow as he muttered words of Dark Magic and sent a beam of light towards the troupe. Grendell's eyes grew wide at the realization of the identity of the young mage.

"It's you." He said, just before speaking a few words of his own magic. With a burst of light, the two rays of magic collided, knocking the other members back.

As Jun read the book, Taylor remembered the day where she helped decide the fate of the Maple World. "Brian, are you ready?" Taylor asked. With a simple nod, they both understood what they had to do. Brian began casting Genesis as Taylor ran in to stab the Black Mage in the heart. As she ran through the disappearing horde towards the Black Mage, she began seeing visions in her head. She began seeing images of betrayal, hatred, and deceit if she pressed on. However, she believed that it was the Black Mage giving her these thoughts.

"I won't fall for any of your lies!" She screamed as she leaped into the beam of light.

The explosion that was created from Brian's spell was followed by a devastating silence.

The sun was bright as the young bandit opened her eyes. Unable to speak, and barely able to move, she lifted herself and looked around for her friends. All that remained of the Black Mage were his robes and staff. But that wasn't important at the moment. She needed to find who was alive. Without a word, she found Grendell, Dances with Balrogs, Jun, and Kyrin. Brian was nowhere to be found.

"Brian!" she screamed. After what seemed to be an eternity of silence, there was no response. She felt a burning sensation in her left forearm and right eye, but those things weren't important. She needed to find Brian. She limped towards the staircase to the throne of the former wicked ruler to see Brian leaned on the wall behind it.

"I found some writing on the back of his throne and blacked out." Brian said with a shiver in his voice.

"What happened? What did you see?" Grendell asked.

"Nothing, it was just darkness." Brian said, shying his gaze away.

"That is not good. It means we did not defeat him. We merely managed to seal him in a fragment of time." Grendell said gravely.

"It doesn't matter. Not right now, at least. For now, the Black Mage is gone, and the treaty between our factions has never been stronger. We need to find the other survivors, and reestablish our towns." Dances with Balrogs said.

"Your right," spoke Jun. "Now, more than ever, we need to rebuild. We never know what lies ahead."

The Explorers looked into the horizon to see a new tomorrow waiting them.

When Jun finished, Taylor looked at him skeptically. "Jun, are you sure you didn't write this story yourself, ten years ago?" she asked.

"Yes, yes, I wrote this, but Fate forbade me from seeing the ending until now. Don't you see? The Prophecy is fulfilling itself." He said with a half smile.

"Jun, you've lost a lot of things over time. Don't tell me your mind is going next." She said with a sigh as she closed her eyes and held the bridge of her nose; as she often did when she was aggravated or stressed.

"Taylor, why would I intentionally rip out a page of a book? You know I cherish them too much." He said.

As he finished speaking, she realized that he had a valid point. Of all the things to destroy, a book was the last thing on Jun's list.


End file.
